Jerome AZ (December 24, 2015) – Brandi Lee Cooper will debut new work at the January 2nd Jerome Art Walk at Gallery 527. Brandi Lee has spent the last year working as a Post-Baccalaureate student in the Ceramic Arts at the University of Kansas. She has focused on her craft like never before and the results are impressive and exciting.
Brandi Lee Cooper is an artist who has built on her life experience and each show for the past years at Gallery 527 has been an eye opening display of experimental techniques and a mind rich with the joy and curiosity of an artist dedicated to her craft.
In her own words, Brandi Lee explains, “I have a deep respect for life and its uniqueness, a reverence for the unfathomable diversity of organisms that have woven themselves into patterns across the planet. Humans are part of this tapestry of life, yet we constantly set ourselves apart and make decisions that have devastating effects on the earth. With a background in Zoology and a passion for conservation, I have studied the human influence on creatures and the land, and I am continually amazed at the resilience and fecundity of nature. In my work, I wish to celebrate nature’s incredible capacity; I aspire for my pieces to serve as a reminder of the importance of interconnectedness.
I make sculptures and vessels out of paper clay, plant material and press molded forms. I take weekly forays into a chipping yard to hunt for different species of plants with which to build my work; each day and each passing season brings different material and inspires new methods of building. I search for biomass that will provide texture and visual interest once dipped in a skin of clay and slipped together in a dense amalgamation. Branch by branch, I build complex webs of interactivity or connection points, akin to a natural system. I then fire my work, burning out the plant material and leaving it in a fragile state. During this time, my sculptures fracture and fragment. Similar to natural systems, they go through dynamic and unpredictable change. I then submerge the entire piece in glaze and fire them in a cradle of sand. When they emerge from the kiln, the viscous glaze coating solidifies the branches and unifies the connection points. They are transformed into state of permanent interconnectedness. “
Celebrate the return of Brandi Lee Cooper with a champagne opening from 5 to 8pm at Gallery 527 on January 2nd. For more information, contact Donna at 928.649.2277.